Into the Fire
by AfroPsycho
Summary: Dallas has had to put up with watching silently as Mr. Cade slowly but surely destroyed his own flesh and blood, Johnny Cade. After catching a battered and bruised Johnny dreaming away in the lot, Dally finally decides to become a nightmare…
1. Part 1: The Poured Gasoline

_Okay, so this chapter of my new story was actually part of my collection of songfic oneshots (Smile 4 Me: Da Songfics), but I decided I liked it enough to make it into its own story. So yes, this chapter is a songfic, but the rest probably won't be._

_Song: Broken Dreams_

_Artist(s): Shaman's Harvest_

_Summary: Dallas has had to put up with watching silently as Mr. Cade slowly but surely destroyed his own flesh and blood, Johnny Cade. After catching Johnny dreaming away in the lot, he decides to become a nightmare…_

A young, yet experienced greaser walked down the street back home from the wildest party of his life. He wasn't quite drunk yet, but he still felt a small, yet great sense of euphoria as his blond hair swayed in the wind with every loose step he took.

As bad as a reputation Dallas Winston had, he knew how to party.

But he figured instead of staying at Buck's (because he knows he'll have to help clean up some mess), he'd go to the Curtis house. It was calmer, quieter, and even though he had to sleep on a couch, it felt more comforting to him. Dallas loves his friends, no matter how hard-headed and cold he is, or tries to be. He especially feels for his 16 year old companion, Johnny Cade. It was like a father-son relationship, since Johnny's father couldn't be a good parent if his life depended on it. Dallas continued his walk with his mind still on Johnny. He loved the kid, no homo, and he often felt like shit for not making Johnny stay away from his love-forsaken household. Every day, when he'd see Johnny with a new bruise or cut or scar, it deeply hurt him knowing he never tried to stop it. Of course, he'd talk a lot of big-man-shit like "I'll kill 'im for ya Johnny, I swear, just say the word," or "One day, I'm gonna give it all back to that bastard ten-fucking-fold," but he never actually did anything.

You'll never again be able to truthfully repeat that sentence after tonight.

_What's that metronome I hear?_

_Perhaps the end is drawing near,_

_You never hear the shot that takes you down._

He walked on and saw a clump of leather and hair lying in the parking lot. He knew right away he wasn't gonna let the kid sleep there when he was on his way to Darry's home, where he could have a nice, warm and cozy sleep. He walked over with a look of compassion on his face (which was rare, but happened only because no eyes were watching) and poked his sleeping friend. Before he could even coo Johnny awake with words, he heard a mumble from the troubled greaser.

"No… no… Dad… No more… why… what'd I… do…"

"Johnny! Wake up, kid!"

Johnny's eyes shot open as he jumped up to a sitting position in shock, but he relaxed when he saw it was his friend. He was holding his shoulder quite gingerly, though. Dallas, still in wonder, leaned forward to put a hand on his shoulder to comfort the young greaser, but Johnny pulled away quickly and sharply.

"Johnny, what's wrong?"

"Uhhh… It's nothing. I… I fell and scraped myself on the way over here."

"Did you?"

"Yeah."

Dallas Winston was a criminal, and he knew damn well when someone was giving him a bad deal or, in this case, bullshitting him. He yanked Johnny's sleeve up fast enough to avoid being stopped and saw the shoulder are leaking with blood and had a deep slice on it.

"Johnny, nobody could possibly just fall and end up with that."

"Look Dal, just let it go-"

"Your pops?"

"Just let it-"

"Johnny?" Dally said as he cast his friend a look. He saw a slight nod and, without explanation, yanked Johnny up from his place and started dragging him along.

"Dal, where are we going?"

"I'm taking you to the Curtis house, but first we need to make a stop."

_Out of time, so say goodbye,_

_What is yours, now is mine,_

_And I dream broken dreams,_

_I make them come true,_

_I make them for you._

Johnny let himself be dragged by his hero. Normally he would've objected, but Dallas had that look in his eyes, that "don't fuck with me right now" look that everyone knew as a sign that property values would go down if just one fuck-up was made. He felt sore still, and he had a gut feeling that Dallas was going to do something brash. He didn't know what, but he still knew this wouldn't be a forgettable night.

Finally, Dallas stopped in front of a familiar looking house. Johnny immediately started yanking his arm away unsuccessfully when he saw that it was hi, or rather his father's, home. That place would never be considered home for him.

"Dally," a teary eyed Johnny started.

"Look," Dally replied. "This is necessary. I'm taking you with me. We're gonna go inside, you're gonna get your stuff, and he'll never hurt you again."

"But Dal-"

"Don't argue with me, Johnnycake! We'll draw too much attention and he'll wake up. We gotta be silent and avoid a fight."

"I can't do this. I… I just… can't-"

"Why not? I'll take you to the Curtis's, my house, Two-Bit's, Steve's, hell Johnny, I'll take you anywhere, but you ain't spending another day in this hellhole."

With that, the dangerous JD dragged Johnny once again, but this time it was to the front door. He picked the lock with ease and they crept inside silently. Mr. Cade was silently sleeping on the couch with his flask in his hands and drool coming out of his mouth. A truly disgusting sight…

"Johnny, go upstairs, get a bag, pack up whatever you can, and come back. I'll be right here in case he wakes up."

Johnny still had mixed emotions on this plan, but he figured he would go along with it now, since they were already here. He ran as quietly as he could up the stairs and to his room.

After a good 15 minutes, a blood-curdling scream was heard.

"EEAAAAHHHH!"

_Bad dreams come true, I make them for you (make them come true)_

_Bad dreams come true, I make them for you (I make dreams come true)_

_Bad dreams come true, I make them for you (make them come true)_

_Bad dreams come true, I make them for you._

Dallas looked at the old man stir and hoped to God he wouldn't wake up. He went upstairs to investigate that scream once he saw that the man was still asleep. He ran to the source of the noise and slipped and fell due to some liquid substance. He looked up from his fallen position and saw a trembling, terrified Johnny cowering in the corner.

"Johnnycake, what's-"

"My… myyyy… oh damn it!" he finished, unable to go on.

Dallas looked down and saw that the liquid was actually a deep crimson.

Blood, he immediately deciphered. He looked over and let out a scream himself (or rather a surprised grunt; Dallas doesn't scream) once he saw the dead body of a woman. She was dead for sure, with blood leaking into pools out of her head and a deep wound.

It was Johnny's mom.

_Out of time, so say goodbye,_

_What is yours, now is mine,_

_And I dream broken dreams,_

_I make them come true,_

_I make them for you._

_I make them for you._

"I… I came into… the room to see her one last time… and she... (Sniff) was dead!"

"Damn right, she's (hiccup) dead."

Oh hell no.

Mr. Cade woke up. The three of them had a tension filled staredown until Mr. Cade cracked a sadistic smile.

"She disobeyed me, just like my bastard son. You were never any good!"

"Dad! You're drunk, you… you don't mean that!" he yelled to himself more than anyone else.

"I do, you lousy fuck!"

Dallas then took his chance and leaped up from the ground to sink his fist into Mr. Cade's gut. The older man crippled over and went to the bed for support.

"Johnny, are you packed?" he asked hastily.

"Yeah, in a duffle bag in my room."

"Go get it while he's down and leave, now! Wait for me outside."

The younger boy complied and ran out of the room with tears leaving a trail. His father yelled curses and obscenities at his back, making Dallas sick to his stomach. How could you possibly, even when drunk, treat your son that way?

"You know what?" he said through gritted teeth. "We've seen you destroy Johnnycake for too long-"

"Aww, how cute," the man interrupted sarcastically. "You've got nicknames! Now I know that not only is my son a disappointment, but he's also a faggot? And with such an ugly person? I should kill you where you stand…"

_Almost to the mountaintop,_

_You slip and fall just like a stone,_

_Rolling ever faster to this nightmare you have sown._

_You had it all right in your grasp,_

_But in a breath, your minute passed,_

_Now at last the end has come, you are all alone._

Dallas attacked the man in a fit of rage. He wasn't so mad that his sexuality, along with Johnny's, was questioned; that was an elementary matter. What really pissed him off was how Johnny's so-called "father" talked of him: with such hate and disdain. He rained blows and kicks on the older man until he was punched across the face with a strong hook. He spit out some blood from his now bleeding jaw and went back on the attack, screaming as he fought.

"NOT SO EASY WHEN SOMEONE FIGHTS BACK, HUH? YOU OLD FUCK! IT's TIME TO REST IN PISS!"

He then pulled out his switchblade and unceremoniously stabbed the man in the gut. The man, with wide eyes, crippled over and coughed up blood and Dallas twisted the blade in the wound.

As Mr. Cade was about to close his eyes, Dallas whispered his farewell speech:

"After all the bad dreams you've caused your son, you've finally caught a nightmare of your own. Now go to sleep, for good!"

Mr. Cade's last sight before blacking out was watching the hood place something bright and orange next to the curtains. He saw the curtains take on the same consistency and saw what he realized was a lighter being put back into the hood's jacket as he ran off. He lay there, motionless.

_Out of time, so say goodbye,_

_What is yours, now is mine,_

_And I dream broken dreams,_

_I make them come true,_

_I make them for you._

_I make them for you._

_All your dreams are just illusion,_

_Based on nothing and confusion,_

_Don't you look behind the curtain,_

_No more time, the end is certain._

Johnny breathed a happy sigh of relief when he saw Dallas walk out of the house, but got a look of worry back on his face when he saw smoke coming out of each and every window. Dallas ran toward him and picked up his bag as they ran in Dally's direction.

"Dally, what happened?"

"Job's been done kid, just don't look back, and keep on moving."

Johnny stopped him in his tracks as he hugged the hood tightly, with tears running down his face. The other greaser, although unusual to this show of affection, hugged back.

"Thanks… Thank you Dal…"

"I told you I'd deliver ya one day, kid. And I never bullshit around."

Then a loud pop was heard, and they both turned back to look at the source.

The house was burning down before their eyes.

"Dally! What'd ya-"

"Just turn around kid! We're going to the Curtis house!"

They ran further to avoid the damaging sight as Johnny decided to leave his past behind. Even when they were on the verge of reaching Ponyboy's house, they heard a loud clutter of people, shattering noises (which they figured was the house crumbling), and police sirens.

His nightmare was over. Dallas, of all people, turned out to make what were his dreams of escaping and his father's nightmare of death come true. For most kids, this would equal months of bad and broken nightmares, but for Johnny, he didn't know whether it was that, or rather, a sweet dream of freedom. Dallas had, indeed, returned it all tenfold.

Dallas was his vindicator.

_I dream broken dreams, I make them come true, I make them for you_

_I dream broken dreams, I make them come true, I make them for you_

_Bad dreams come true, I make them for you (I make dreams come true)_

_Bad dreams come true, I make them for you ( I make them for you)_

_Bad dreams come true, I make them for you (I make dreams come true)_

_Bad dreams come true, I make them for you ( I make them for you)_


	2. Part 2: The Lit Match

_Wow, I haven't updated this story in a while. Well I'm not on FF often anymore so I guess that explains it…_

_And also, I'm not making this chapter a songfic like the last one, but I'm considering making the remaining chapters all songfics to tie in with the 1__st__ chapter. I'm leaving that choice up to you. Let me know if they should be songfics or not in your reviews!_

_Anyway, here it is: Into the Fire Part 2: The Lit Match_

The only sound in the air was the heavy breathing of Johnny and Dallas. They ran and ran and ran until they reached a good enough distance away from the house, but though it seems like they ran a marathon, they've only reached the lot…

Once they caught their breath, there was an uncomfortable, yet understanding silence. I mean, honestly, they just practically committed murder… well, Dallas did. Not really much you can say at this point if you're Johnny either, since you just witnessed your idol kill your dad. It's not like the bastard didn't deserve it; hell, Johnny considered this salvation. But he can't help but think, _"Holy shit, we just killed my dad…"_ His mind flashed back to the good times his family had, before his parents lost their fucking minds. Sure, that time period only really ranged from Johnny's birth to about his elementary years, but it happened nonetheless.

"Wanna talk about it, Johnnycakes?" Dallas said, finally caving in to the idea of questioning his seemingly out of it friend.

"…Nah. I'm alright."

"So… no more tears?"

"I've shed enough tonight, don't ya think? I mean look at me, my eyes are swollen like blowfishes," Johnny said with a rather nervous chuckle. He sat down abruptly and buried his head in his knees. He knew that after all the shit he's been through, it can't be over this easily.

"Dally?" Johnny finally asked.

"Yeah, kid?" Dallas asked as he sat himself down in front of the boy.

"…This whole thing… it's… it's just gonna get harder, isn't it?"

After waiting and receiving no reply, Johnny looked up to see that his questioned actually caught the older greaser off guard. Deep down, he knew he shouldn't be surprised, Dallas was often known for making brash decisions.

"Well, I'm ready to face this if you are, Johnnycake."

Dallas looked over at his friend and saw the confused look on his face.

"It's not like I have much a choice, do I?" Johnny replied with a rather bitter sense of humor. A small tear formed in the corner of his right eye and threatened to escape. His sense of pride didn't want to cry anymore in front of Dally, but the tear fell anyway, leaving a wet streak as it reached the middle of his cheek. Dallas, in a rare show of emotion, reached out and wiped the tear from his friend's face.

"I thought you said there'd be no more crying, huh?" He said with a tone that obviously indicated the smirk on his face.

"To be honest with ya Dal, I think for the first time, this is a tear of joy."

And with that, the two boys sat in another silence, but this time, it was a comfortable and enjoyable one. A silence where they both knew that they understood each other. A silence that said, "No matter what happens, we're in this together now; no turning back." They both had their eyes deadlocked into the other's. Dallas was actually observing his friend's face. He noticed, ironically, that the last scar he noticed that Johnny received from his father, a bluish bruise on the corner of his forehead, was clearing up beautifully by now. It seemed fitting, he thought; the last visible scar on the kid is leaving him, just like the pain that his father brought him. But then his mind flashed back to what started this all in the first place: Johnny's shoulder.

"Johnny, take off your jacket."

"What?" Johnny thought aloud, a little surprised at the shift from silence to worry.

"Take off your jacket." Dallas repeated, but instead of waiting, he slid off the left side of Johnny's leather jacket enough to expose the white tanktop underneath that was stained with blood, some of it still fresh. It was just as Dallas thought: the kid's shoulder is still a problem.

"I forgot about your shoulder. Hurry up, take off the jacket all the way."

"Dally, I'll be fine-"

"I'm trying to take care of ya kid, now let's move it!"

Johnny obeyed and removed the jacket. The whole time Dallas was tending to the wound, his mind flashed back on those words: "I'm trying to take care of ya." It felt good to him, to hear someone, especially someone as cold-hearted as Dallas Winston, say that they care for him. Whatever hole that the death of his father might've left in his subconscious, Dallas was quickly filling.

"Alright, there. You should be good now." Dallas said as he finished wrapping Johnny's shoulder with the white T shirt he had on under his own leather jacket.

"Thanks, but aren't you gonna be cold, Dal?"

"Meh, I'll live."

Dallas got up and helped Johnny on his feet too. As soon as Johnny jerked his shoulder, he winced back in pain. Now that the adrenaline from the moment wore off, he realized he was gonna be experiencing this more often.

"Watch out, dumbass!" Dallas said, rushing to balance Johnny's arm back to a comfortable position. "You really shouldn't be moving too much anyway; I'm surprised you even ran this far AND with a duffle bag. What were you trying to do anyway, moving that shoulder so wide?"

Johnny decided to show Dallas exactly what he meant and hugged him, regardless of the pain that shot through him when he spread his arms.

"Thanks a lot Dal. You've really sacrificed enough for me."

Dallas awkwardly, yet caringly hugged back with 1 arm. Unlike that heat-of-the-moment hug that he got back at the site of the burning house, this one really took Dallas out of character. He didn't like it, but considering it was Johnny, he enjoyed every second of it.

"Ok, come on now, Johnnycake. This is awful tuff of ya, but you got me showing way too much emotion for one day, you can get off now," he said jokingly. "Besides, you're squeezing my ribs way too hard for someone who's got a fucked up arm."

Johnny relented once he realized that their height difference made sure that his face was buried in Dallas's chest and released his hold on Dallas, a tint of red hitting his cheeks in slight embarrassment. He grabbed his shoulder with his good arm to ease the pain a bit.

"I was gonna take you to the Curtis'. Is that cool with you?"

"Yeah, su- wait…"

"Why not?"

"I don't know. We look beat, we smell singed, and I don't know if I wanna face all those questions right now. It's late; I just wanna (yawwwwn) sleep."

"Well," Dallas started, "It's late, so I doubt Darry's awake. And plus, Pony's understanding. He won't pry."

And with that, they both started walking towards the Curtis's house.

WEEEOOOOOOWEEEEOOO

Johnny and Dallas cast nervous glances as 2 police cars and a fire truck went whizzing past them in the opposite direction. They both knew where the vehicles were headed, no doubt. But it was finished: the deed had been done, and they knew they had to move along as to not look suspicious. Besides, if you saw two kids dressed like this walking around at night looking as disheveled as they do, you'd start getting some thoughts too.

Dallas re-adjusted the dufflebag strap on his shoulder. He took it from Johnny as to not further aggravate the kid's wounds. He was hoping they'd get there soon, as he was already tired as shit and this bag was just more dead weight.

WEEEOOOEEE

They stopped dead in their tracks as a police car stopped in front of them.

"Going somewhere, boys?"

"Yeah," Johnny replied quickly.

"Wanna tell me where?"

"Nah, thanks for offering us a ride, but we'll walk." Dallas replied wittily.

"Well aren't you optimistic," the officer replied. "I wasn't offering you a ride. I was just wondering why two grease kids are walking around with a duffle bag and some fucked up clothes when it's getting late. You 2 handling some Mafia business or something?" The man said, obviously faking an Italian accent for the last sentence.

"Don't worry about it, copper. Do we honestly look like we'd fuck with anyone for no reason? _Basta!" _Dallas replied sarcastically, mocking the cop's attempt at an Italian accent.

"Don't worry? Dallas Winston is on the streets during night-time and I shouldn't worry? Even you could understand why I think that's bullshit."

"Come on, I'm not up to anything. This isn't any JD business, it's just two kids trying to get home." Dallas replied, struggling not to curse out the cop. He was restless, and he was pretty sure Johnny was just as tired.

"Yeah yeah, that's what all the hoods say. That, or 'kiss my ass, pig!' Either way, both are complete and utter horseshit."

"Please Mister," Johnny said, breaking his silence. "My mom wants us home by a certain time and I gotta go!"

Dallas was kinda surprised that the kid could pull a good lie out of his ass like that. _He probably learned it from hangin 'round Pony all day,_ Dallas thought. But at the same time, Dallas was kinda worried Johnny would crack under pressure. He's been through a lot today.

"Fine, fine, just let me see the bag."

"…What?" Both greasers asked in unison.

"I'll say this slow, since I'm guessing dropouts don't understand English too well: LET…ME…SEE…WHAT'S…IN…THE…BAG!"

"Umm…okay-" Dallas started, moving to slowly take the bag off and show the officer. I mean, what was there to hide, right? WRONG, apparently, as Johnny sharply moved his injured arm to stop Dally. He winced a bit in pain.

"You don't have a warrant," Johnny said defensively.

"You okay, kid?" The cop asked, noticing Johnny jerking back his arm.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just took a bad tackle today… we were just playing football."

_God bless you, Ponyboy, you taught the kid good! _Dallas thought. _But what is he hiding? What's in that bag?_

"Oh, well next time, try not to get tackled too much, you guys look like you hit the dirt pretty often."

"OK sir, take care." Dallas said, starting to walk off with Johnny.

"WAIT," the cop yelled. "Did you see any strange characters walking around 57th & North Avenue?"

Johnny's face instantly emulated the shit hitting the fan, but he was still facing away from the officer.

"Define strange," Dallas shot back.

"There was a fire over there. Someone's house burnt and some sources say they saw someone running to get out of there."

"Glory, the house burnt completely?" Dallas feigned, hating how much he sounded like a bitch. But hey, anything to save Johnnycake.

"Yup. That's where I was headed. Anyway, I should be going there now. You boys stay out of trouble."

"Yeah, right." Dallas said as the cop drove off. He raised his middle finger high at the retreating car as it sped away.

"Wait, how come he didn't question us?" Johnny asked aloud.

"Because he said they saw someone running, not two people. Remember there was some distance between us since you were running with the bag. Thank God for that. Let's keep walking, we're almost at the Curtis house. By the way, what was in that bag that you didn't want him to see?"

"Umm… nothing really, I just didn't want him snooping in my stuff. I ain't got much, so I ain't trying to get anything stolen."

Dallas gave him a look that said, 'Bullshit, you're lying', but simply nodded in a direction to indicate they should start walking. Johnny gave a heavy sigh and started to trudge along. Suddenly, headlights shone at their backs.

"Another fucking cop?" Dallas burst out. But when he turned around…

It was a blue Mustang…

_Oh snap, the boys are in some shit now! And lets get some reviews in, I want at least 2 new reviews before I start a next chapter. And remember, make your vote on whether Into the Fire has songfic chapters or normal ones. I happen to think the songfic chapter in this story easily beats this one though, just sayin…_


	3. Part 3: Slow Burn, The First Flames

_Yup, I'm actually updating this story. Shocking, right? Anyone who follows my stories knows how rare it is for me to ever update a story, so treasure it! LOL nah, but I'm actually looking to finish something, because out of all my stories, I've only completed about 3 so far. OK, done rambling, here's Into the Fire, Part 3: Slow Burn/The First Flames. _

_BTW I'm still not sure whether or not I should do the chapters as songfics, so this one is just a regular chapter, no song._

"Oh Lord, is this really happening right now? Damn it!" screamed Dallas Winston as he dropped Johnny's bag and picked up the largest rock he could find, ready to heave it at the approaching blue Mustang. Of all the shit to encounter right now, the last thing either of the boys wanted was to fuck around with any Soc's right now.

"Johnny, run, now!"

"No Dal, I got this."

"Johnny, you have a giant slice in your friggin shoulder, even Darry couldn't win with that. Do not argue with me, just GO!

"Dally, trust me, it's under control."

By now, Dallas was fuming. The kid's been obedient the whole night, and _**now**_ he chooses to get defiant? He whipped around, fully prepared to toss the kid out of here if necessary, but stopped when he saw Johnny unzipping the duffel bag, which he picked up off the floor. He searched rampantly for whatever it was he was searching for, but couldn't get it in time, as the Mustang pulled up in front of them.

"Come the fuck on, then!" screamed Dallas as he chucked the rock at the windshield, creating an ugly crack as well as a pissed off driver. Who was the driver, you ask? Dallas and Johnny were shocked to find out as Randy stepped out of the car, looking distraught almost to the point of tears at his now damaged Mustang.

"WHAT THE HELL, DALLAS? There is a big ass rock stuck in my damn windshield! How am I gonna explain this one to Dad? Fuck, fuck, FUCK!" He yelled as he kicked at the tires. "Why the fuck did you do that?"

Dally looked dumbfounded at Randy, still shocked that it was him and not another random Soc ambush.

"We're awful sorry, Randy," Johnny started. "We thought you were-"

'Well what business did you have following us in the first place?" Dally interrupted.

"Well I was _gonna _offer you a ride since you look like hell hit you full on, but damn, a simple 'no, thank you' would have sufficed too!"

"Shit, I'm reeeeaaal sorry again Randy," Johnny said, finishing his apology. "But your windows were up and we didn't expect you to be rolling around here at this time of night. You can understand why we wouldn't trust a blue mustang around these parts, right?"

"Yeah, I guess you're kinda right," Randy said, scratching the back of his neck in defeat. He figured he might as well move on, because it's not like he could take a greaser to court or something. Plus, he figured he probably still had some payback owed to him from Johnny anyway since the whole _'I sent you on a wild runaway that left you stranded in an abandoned church and almost killed you in a bloody fire' _thing. Oh, and the fact that Dallas Winston had more than just that one rock in his hand was a pretty big factor too.

"Well, what are you guys doing out late anyway?"

"We're greasers, Randy. You don't ask a greaser what he's doing out at night." Dally replied. "A better question is: what's a trust-fund, Varsity school-boy doing out here in this part of town at this time of night?"

"I was on my way home, but then I got caught up in the scene of some big investigation."

"Investigation?"

"Yeah. Apparently, a house burned down on 57th and North Avenue, and they suspect foul play. And let me tell you, that thing really burnt to cinders. It's a wonder if the whole city doesn't know about it by this time tomorrow. I just drove by, and I slowed down just to see what's going on. Next thing you know, all these people are asking me all these questions about where I've been and who I've seen, it was crazy. There was a crowd of people and everything too. They say the owner and his lady were in there and burnt, but they saw someone running with a bag, sorta like that one y'all got over there."

Johnny unconsciously clutched the bag a bit tighter. This didn't go unnoticed by Randy or Dallas, but Randy decided not to push the issue.

"Say, you guys want a ride anywhere in particular? You look like shit, the both of you."

"Sure, can you take us to the Curtis house?"

"Alrighty then, but you'll have to guide me there."

And with that, Randy stalked off to his car, stopping to try to survey some of the windshield damage and remove the rock. Johnny started to walk over to the car, but Dally grabbed a hold of his bad arm, eliciting a small whine from the young greaser.

"Sorry, Johnny. I didn't mean to grab your bad arm."

"S'okay, but what'd you grab me for?"

Dallas looked around suspiciously, and then eyed Randy, who was still fiddling with his windshield, before whispering to his friend, "I don't trust getting in a car with this guy."

"Well why not?" Johnny asked innocently. "It's not like we're getting into a car with any other Soc. This is Randy."

"Still, this seems like the perfect time for him to fuck us over for Bob-"

"Dal," Johnny said, interrupting his idol so fast that it surprised himself even. "He's over the Bob thing. Everyone is by now. He already apologized to Pony; ain't no more bad blood between us."

"I'm not gonna put my life in the hands of some half-assed apology."

"Dal, just trust me here, please? I really want to get to the Curtis house already. I'm tired." He finished with a yawn. Normally, he would have left already, with or without whoever he was with, but the usual Winston rules are often altered when Johnny's concerned. He figured the kid must be tired by now, both physically and emotionally. So, in total 'non-Dallas' fashion, he went against his gut and walked with Johnny towards the car. Randy was already in by now, car started and all.

"Alright, tell me where the Curtis house is now," he said as they got into the car.

They gave him the directions as he drove. Dallas was still eerily suspicious of the so-called "friendly Soc". While Randy did seem genuine, he also knew that no matter what, he was still a Soc, and Dallas Winston didn't trust Soc's. Hell, even if his own father drove around in a blue mustang snapping his fingers to Beatle's tunes, Dallas would have the heater ready. But then again, he didn't really give a shit about him anyway, so the analogy balances itself out.

"Is this the place?" Dallas heard coming out of Randy's mouth, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Yup. Thanks a lot, Randy. It's awful tuff of you to ride us out here."

"No problem buddy," he replied. Just that word alone, _buddy, _sent Dallas on edge about this guy even more than before. But rather than wonder about the man's true intentions, Dallas high-tailed it out of his car, saying his quick thanks before grabbing the duffle-bag and dragging Johnny towards the car. Randy, a bit flabbergasted at Dallas's hasty exit, said his goodbye and drove off.

"See," Jonny said. "We're safe and sound. Randy wasn't going to kill us, you paranoid greaseball."

Dallas felt the smirk grow on his face as he grabbed a laughing Johnny and pulled him into a rough, yet playful headlock while ruffling his hair.

"Don't think you're safe and sound when you run your mouth off like that, you little shit!"

"Really? Because I feel pretty safe right about now." Johnny responded before biting his way out of the hold. Dallas, taken aback, released Jonny and watched him bounce onto the Curtis's patio with a daring smile. Dallas didn't even know how to respond. Johnny rarely ever plays around like this, and especially not after something huge goes down like it did that night. He could see the change in Johnny already; it was practically liberation. He stared at Johnny, who had his tongue pointed out at the blond JD, before dashing to pounce on him. He never knew Johnny could be this… open. And to be honest, Dallas kind of like it, which is why he dashed after his smaller friend to keep this game going. Johnny burst into the Curtis house before coming to a hard stop as Ponyboy tackled him, the momentum taking him to the floor. Dallas walked in on the scene just as confused as his floored friend was right about now.

"Glory, Johnny! Don't scare us like that again! Damn it, I thought we lost you!"

"Ponyboy, you're crushing me," Johnny said beneath the tight grip of his best friend. Ponyboy got up, but as soon as Johnny followed suit, he pulled him into another hug. Soda and Darry joined in as well, once again crushing Johnny in the middle

"Man, Johnnycake, I thought you were a goner!"

"Why," Johnny asked, confused.

"Soda just came home and told us about your house! It burned down! We thought you were in it!"

"Well, I feel very much alive and not burnt right now, thank you very much. Wait, how do you know about the house, Soda?"

"I was driving home a bit late and I passed by the lot to see if you were there. I was planning on getting you, but you weren't there, so I figured I'd drive the long way home to see if I'd find you lurking about. Along the way I passed your house, completely- wait a second, you know about your house, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well why are you so calm?"

"Because we-"

"Johnny!" Dally said in a cautious tone.

"No, it's ok, Dal, we can tell them. Me and Dal know about it because we caused it."

The 3 Curtis brothers looked amongst themselves, a bit unsure about how to react. All of a sudden, Soda's eyes darted from Johnny to Dallas with a wild spark of worry.

"Wait a second… Is that your bag, Johnny?"

"Yeah, why?"

Soda immediately started letting out loud expletives before Johnny even asked why. He too stopped by the site, and he too heard all the going-ons of the place and talked to investigators and such. But now, one particular sentence struck his memory clearly, as he relayed it to Johnny and Dallas:

"_A figure was seen running from the house as it was burning by both of the victim's next door neighbors. He was wearing a leather jacket and ripped up jeans with a white inside shirt, medium length black hair and holding a duffle-bag ,tan-skinned. Be on the look-out for anyone matching this description, as we are looking to take this man into questioning."_

"Well, it's not as bad as it looks," Dallas said, keeping the situation calm. "It's not like anyone can point out Johnnycake specifically. The neighbors only saw him from far off, nobody else-…"

"Dal?"

"…"

"Dal, what are you-"

"FUCK! Johnny, the cop! He stopped us, he saw you on the way to the site!"


	4. Part 4: Mass Incineration

_Yeah, I know, I don't update. Reason being: life takes you places. I was just in one of those random moods I get every 6 months or so that reminds me I have an account on FF with stories I've neglected, so here it is: Chapter 4 of Into the Fire - Part 4: Mass Incineration._

_Disclaimer: Last time I checked, I do not fit any of the qualifications of being S.E. Hinton, so no, I don't own this book/short-lived series/movie_

**Part 4: Mass Incineration**

"_Bzzztzzzz_

_Bzzzttzzz_

_Bzzzz Suspect has been identified by neighbors and passerby witnesses as Johnny Cade, son of the victims Bzzzztzzzz_

_Bzzz Authorities also are on the lookout for Dallas Winston, who has been suspected on being a potential accomplice in the torching of a local Tulsa home last night-"_

_**CLICK!**_

"I figured we could go without the radio. Get some sleep."

"…could've just changed the radio station…"

"Two-Bit?"

"Yeah?"

"…Go the fuck to sleep."

Darry kept his foot pressed on the gas as he and his brothers and friends were breaking all kinds of road rules as they sped down the road to their next destination: anywhere that wasn't 57th & North Avenue.

As soon as Dallas realized that they've practically given themselves away to a cop with whom they've had extensive enough of a conversation to be remembered, the gang wasted no time in getting the hell out of the Curtis house, a place where authorities were sure to check 1st due to the constant social worker visits and their affiliation with Dallas and Johnny that was revealed to Tulsa officials after Johnny, Pony and Dallas just barely survived the WIndrixeville situation and the resulting occurences. Darry, Pony, Steve, Soda and Two-Bit were all on board with the idea of driving their two felon friends as far out of Tulsa (or even Oklahoma if need be) as possible, but the two friends refused, bringing up the Curtis's already shaky relationship with the law. The next suggestion, brought up by Dallas, was to go to Buck's house, where he frequently crashes. Once they thought about it, though, Buck wouldn't really be too cool about hiding runaway criminals in his house, and though he'd probably allow it, he probably would rat them out at the slightest bit of pressure put on him. Church of Windrixeville was another good suggestion, until Pony simply said no. His reasoning being:

"That place has too much bad blood in it. Say what you want Johnny, but you wouldn't last a day without going crazy. That, and we kinda burned it down."

Once it seemed as if there was nowhere possibly inhabitable for the two poor greasers, someone brought up the prospect of seeking help from the Shepards. This was the plan that they eventually settled on, since Tim and Curly, as Dal described it: "-would be so down with some crazy, off the wall, police defying shit like this that they'd get off on it." So with the destination chosen, Darry took the wheel as the other greasers crammed themselves into his truck. It wasn't comfortable, but no man was to be left behind. The way they saw it, they would rather get burned themselves than watching their brothers get caught like this. The eldest Curtis was still at the wheel while the majority of the boys slept off some of the days events. Johnny in particular was knocked the hell out. All this seemed like a whole re-do of the last time he had to run away, and just the thought of what would happen next tired the dog shit out of him.

"Hey. Hey, Johnny. You 'wake?" Steve asked.

"Chill, he's sleeping," responded Soda, who was currently housing the snoozing greaser on his shoulder. While this could be read as a friendly gesture, it wasn't, at least not originally. With the limited space available in the vehicle, body parts were all over the place in an effort to cram, so Johnny's head really had nowhere else to go.

"…You do realize that we're not gonna see him after this for a good long while, right? You neither, Dal…"

Although Steve's statement seemed to point out the obvious, it was the first time any of them ever really gave it any thought, so as soon as Steve said it, the ambiance in the atmosphere went from 'hasty' to 'holy shit'. Darry even slowed the car down for the first time since they started driving (and that includes stoplights!)

"Woah, guess… I guess I never really considered that," Dally contemplated with an obvious sadness in his voice.

"I'm really not too keen on the idea of you two leavin'," said an obviously distraught Pony. "We almost lost you two once… once was enough."

"I ain't never really one for Hallmark moments, but I'm really not looking forward to leaving you guys either, Pony," Dallas said reservedly.

"Damn," Darry said, overhearing the conversation and purposely slowing down the car. They were already there, really. The Shepard residence was already within plain sight, but Darry realized the reality of the situation too, and managed to drag out the drive into a slow, 5 minute stroll as the gang reminisced and gave the preludes to their goodbyes.

"I'm coming back, I swear it," said an awakened Johnny, holding back wet streaks from his eyes unsuccessfully. "They won't hold us back for long. I love you guys."

The group was currently in a large, last group hug as they were ready to drop off Johnny and Dally. It was a tightly-knight embrace as the greasers gave their heartfelt goodbyes, not knowing where the future will take the 2 felons.

"Goodbye Dal. Goodbye Johnnycake. I promise you we'll see you again. We love you." Ponyboy said, effectively ending the embrace as they remorsefully gave up their friends to the Shepards. As the group turned around and headed to the car, they gave their final waves as the car drove off, faces pressed against the window to show looks of encouragement as the car drove out of eyesight in what seemed to happen all too soon for Dally and Johnny.

"Ready?" asked the older greaser.

"Not really. But it's gotta be done," replied his younger counterpart, and with that, they both knocked on the door to the Shepards house.

"You must be off your fucking rocker, Dal."

Tim Shepard looked at Dal with a look of astonishment. As soon as he opened his door, he offered them a place to crash without any questions asked. Johnny took up the offer immediately, being that it was getting to the extreme hours of the morning, and knocked out once again on the couch. Dallas sat on the front edge of it, and grabbed Tim's attention before the older Shepard stalked off to whatever it was he was doing and explained his dilemma. Tim seemed amused at the outlandish story, but that amusement vanished as soon as his services were required.

"You want me and Curly to be your fucking escort service out of Tulsa? The fuck I look like to you?"

"My best friend?" Dallas pleaded.

"Bullshit," he retorted.

"Come on, at least I lied with the fucking cute face, that should seal the deal!" Dallas, once again, pleaded.

"Seeing as how I don't swing that way, I'd sooner stomp that so-called 'cute' face than submit to it."

"You don't even have to drive us that far! Just up to, say, Oklahoma City. I'll pay the gas fare if I have to."

"Heh, you are something else, you know that Dal?" Tim said with a lighthearted chuckle. That one signal of easiness gave Dal some hope. "Tell ya what, when Curly wakes up, ask him. If he's down, then I'll take you guys."

"Deal, '_best friend_'," Dal said with a trying smirk.

"…You must not value that 'cute' face of yours, do ya, Dal?"

_Author Notes:_

_Short, I know, and far from my favorite chapter, but I hope it gets the job done. I'm expecting to wrap this story up at about Chapter 7, maybe it could stretch to 8, but I really do wanna finish this fic in the near future, so while I make no guarantees, I give a half-assed promise to finish this before the year ends._


End file.
